Chevrolet Malibu Eco Doesn’t Appear To Be Catching On

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With the Chevrolet Malibu Eco, customers will find 3 more combined miles per gallon over the base 2.5L model. At the same time, the vehicle is also $3,000 more expensive, and sacrifices three cubic feet of cargo space in the trunk due to the placement of the battery. To many, the premium doesn’t seem worth it, be it due to the base-engine Malibu being just as nice inside and out while maintaining a lower price, or the fact that competitive models achieve better fuel economy for less — such as the Nissan Altima.

As a result, the current take rate on the Malibu Eco is 8 percent of all current Malibu sales, coming under GM’s initial forecast of 10 percent, according to Automotive News. GM is more than likely aware of how the Malibu’s numbers currently stack against the competition across the board, and we can probably expect a significant powertrain change-up with the refreshed model arriving soon.

I’ve been driving one for almost 6 months now. The fuel economy is nice (though admittedly, not as great as I would have hoped) and it handles very well. The biggest difference I have noticed is that with the motor and battery pack I get a little extra pep off the line. I would imagine the 2.0T is better at this still, but it’s a nice enough car.

The extra $3k is mostly for the extra stuff (premium cloth seats, 6-speed auto gearbox, etc.) Once you add all that up, the real difference in cost for the Eco is only about $700 (give or take). That being said, you pay an extra grand upfront, and get slightly better gas mileage over the life of the car.

In the end, the Eco is a good car, that is on par in value with the rest of its brothers.

I drove one, it was very nice, I’d consider an Eco. But then again I haven’t driven the 2.5 or 2.0T yet.lol

I think it’s time for GM to get off the mild hybrid train (they seem to be the only ones left on it) and either focus on boosting performance/efficiency of the 2.5 and 2.0T or create something competitive with other mainstream hybrid sedans. Or do something radical like make a Voltec Malibu.

Whatever happened to the 2-Mode Hybrid stuff. Does anyone from that partnership even still use that stuff? Or is it just GM with the Yukon/Escalade/Tahoe Hybrids?

Seems like a waste on money/time. I’m not to familiar with the 2-Mode system, is it unable to transition down to a smaller vehicle? Or was it really just not that good to begin with? I hate to see it go the way of Quadra-Steer.lol

My brother purchased a Malibu Eco last summer (shortly after they went on sale). His main reasons for buying it were because he liked he fuel economy and he fell in love with the styling.

It’s a nice enough car and very comfortable, but nothing I would want to drive. There is literally nothing particularly fun about the drive itself. It stops, it goes, it stops again, it goes again. That’s pretty much it. Despite the exterior and interior styling (and I’ve been on record about my thoughs on the exterior styling), bland is a pretty good word to describe this car with this powertrain.

The “mild” hybrid, such as the Malibu Eco, is a clever way to eke a few more MPG out of a vehicle. I agree with most that a $3000 premium falls far short of the expected economy – but many are also not aware that the government is pushing every manufacturer to up their corporate average fuel economy at an aggressive pace. Even at a time when gasoline prices are somewhat stable and “cheap” – when the customer looks to less fuel efficient models – companies are still pushing to meet the 2025 CAFE number.

We’re already seeing technologies that don’t work that great and/or suck to drive – perfect example is the dual dry clutch transmissions: Ford and Chrysler introduced these types of transmissions into a few of their cars as they offer a few percent increase in efficiency over a wet-clutched (think VW) trans. Problem is, they drive like shit; the main reason in the non-linearity of friction material slip vs. temperature over a huge range of operation. They can be grabby / herky-jerky at one extreme and slow / lethargic at the other.
Despite endless examples that may prove otherwise, the auto companies are not full of idiots, there is just a huge push to eke out every bit of economy ASAP – and some technologies can offer a small benefit now while new technologies are integrated into production.

Internal combustion is nearing its efficiency limit (vs cost), so you’re going to see a whole lot more little nudges toward fuel efficiency – but the big factor left that *everyone* is working on is vehicle mass. Some folks complain that vehicles are too heavy, but then completely forget that a comfortable, quiet ride and a 5-star crash rating comes at a cost.

Dump the Malibu Eco and forget it ever happened. Concentrate on making the “regular” Malibu all that much better and people will atleast consider buying it. How much savings will the Eco generate vs paying for future repairs when it passes 100,000 miles, if people even keep them that long. If they just lease them for 3 years, why bother worrying about the Eco model anyway. Either do full hybrid or not.